Pages

bet365

Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Under-firing Bayern wary of Czech champions

Under-firing Bayern wary of Czech champions

Munich: Dutch winger Arjen Robben
has insisted under-firing Bayern Munich must prove their mettle as
European champions against Czech side Viktoria Pilsen in the Champions League on Wednesday.

After convincing wins at home to CSKA Moscow and away to Manchester City, Bayern are top of Group D ahead of the visit of Czech champions Pilsen.

While
Bayern have had no problems producing stylish performances against
perceived big name clubs, they have struggled on occasion in the
Bundesliga this season against low-ranking sides.

Despite running
out 4-1 winners at home to Mainz 05 on Saturday, Bayern were punished
for a lethargic first-half when they went into the break behind before
scoring four goals without replay.

Robben says Munich can ill
afford a repeat against Pilsen, who have lost both of their opening
matches in Europe and are bottom of the group.

"They won`t be coming here just to hand us the victory," warned Robben.

"We`ll have to be up for it from the start."

Having
drubbed Moscow 3-0 in Munich and City 3-1 in Manchester, Bayern have
laboured in the Bundesliga with a 1-1 draw at second-from-bottom
Freiburg and posted below-par 1-0 wins over Wolfsburg and Frankfurt.

Bayern
have fallen into the habit of turning on the style for an impressive
victory after a poor first-half on occasion and it is something coach
Pep Guardiola wants to change.

"We need to find out why this is,"
said Guardiola, who refused to blame the first-half performance against
Mainz on the international break.

"I want to see improvement very soon.”

"I don`t want the fans to think it`s only worth turning up to the stadium for the second half."

Bayern
will be without Brazil centre-back Dante, after he needed 10 stitches
in an ankle wound in the first-half against Mainz, while France winger
Franck Ribery should be fit despite suffering an ankle injury last week.

Pilsen trail Sparta Prague by six points in the Czech league after winning only one of the last four league games.

On
Saturday, they drew 1-1 at home with Slavia Prague who were sitting
last in the table and coach Pavel Vrba has said a similar performance
against Bayern would be a "disaster".

"We keep making the same mistakes, this concerns two or three players in the backline," he said.

"If we don`t improve our defence, the Bayern game will be a disaster, they would punish our mistakes badly."

Vrba is being touted as a future coach of the Czech national side after they failed to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil.

The
49-year-old has a contract at Pilsen until 2015 and despite pressure to
let Vrba step up to coach the Czech Republic, his club is reluctant to
let him go after the won the national league at a canter last season.

Pilsen
will miss injured left-back David Limbersky, out with a torn hamstring,
while ex-Hertha Berlin defender Roman Hubnik may be called up to boost
the wobbly defence.

Having lost 3-0 at home to Manchester City
and 3-2 away to CSKA Moscow, a third straight defeat would effectively
end the Czech champions chance of reaching the knock-out phase.
AFP ------------------ ZEENEWS.com